Last Updated: 2:39 p.m.
2:39 p.m. update: Repairs are complete, water service has been restored. Flagler Beach’s mainland water customers are under a boil-water notice, however.
A contractor laying down broadband cables for Metronet, the Evansville, Ind.-based high-speed internet company, struck Flagler Beach’s main water line on State Road 100 late this morning, cutting off supply to the city.
“Water has been shut off on the west side of the City,” a statement issued by the city early this afternoon said, meaning that Flagler Beach residents and businesses on the mainland, west of the Intracoastal, had no water. “The beachside of the city has access to water but we urge all residents and businesses on the beachside to conserve water as we are depleting the water from limited reserves.”
The beach side has a million-gallon water tank on South Flagler Avenue, between the police station and the fire department, and the city’s water tower at the south end of town, both of which have reserves.
City crews responded to the emergency and were working on repairing the break, City Commissioner Rick Belhumeur said from the scene early this afternoon. “They know what’s down in the ground at least,” he said. “It affects the entire city. This is the main water pipe that goes to the island, so some parts of the city may still have some residual water in the storage tanks.” As to how long that reserve will last, “it depends on how much people limit their water use.”
City Manager Dale Martin said a water main break is similar to when power is cut off: he could confirm that crews were working on repairs, but couldn’t predict when the work would be completed. “We’re telling everybody to follow he city’s Facebook site for updates,” Martin said.
A brief video released by the Flagler Beach Police Department shows water churning out of a crater on the south side of State Road 100 (Old Moody Boulevard), between the Sherwin Williams store and CVS Pharmacy. The water had filled the ditch east and west of the break, but was not affecting either the businesses or the highway. The city is asking residents and businesses to conserve water until the repairs are completed.
How did it happen? Utility crews digging in rights of way are expected to map out pipes and cables ahead of time to ensure against shearing through them. “Did they call in for locates? We can chase that,” Martin said, but meanwhile “let’s focus on getting the repairs done.” Based on the information the city manager got, the Metroinet contractor did secure the “locates” ahead of time. Despite that, they struck the water line. Analyzing that “will definitely be part of the after-action report,” Martin said.
The city has been communicating with its utility customers by text, email and phone calls. Metronet wired Palm Coast in the past two years. Its contractors occasionally struck utility lines there as they worked.
